


X-Patrol: Chapter 17 - Springtime in the Mountains

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Crossover, Fiction, M/M, Mpreg, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-05-07
Updated: 2004-05-07
Packaged: 2018-11-21 01:53:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11347440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Mulder arrives home with a special gift for Skinner, and a reunion takes place between old friends.





	X-Patrol: Chapter 17 - Springtime in the Mountains

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

X-Patrol: Chapter 17 - Springtime in the Mountains

### X-Patrol: Chapter 17 - Springtime in the Mountains

#### by Jo B

  


Title: X-Patrol: Chapter 17 - Springtime in the Mountains 

Author: Jo B 

Keywords: M/Sk, D/K, and J/B. Slash, AU, mpreg, XF/TS crossover 

Rating: NC-17 

Story Summary: Colonization has begun. Four men set aside their differences and form an alliance to fight the aliens and stake out a new life together in their shattered world. 

Chapter Summary: Mulder arrives home with a special gift for Walter, and a reunion takes place between old friends. 

Disclaimer: The X-Files are the property Chris Carter, 1013 productions and Fox Broadcasting. The Sentinel belongs to Pet Fly Productions, UPN, and Paramount. No money is being made from their use. 

Author's notes: Now that I've gotten to this point in the story, I might take a break and work on wrapping up Moving On and Liamterra. And I haven't forgotten about Embrace, but that story will take more than one chapter to complete. 

Warning! This story contains romance between two men. Turn back now, if the subject matter offends you. Warning! Warning! This story contains male pregnancy! Eek run for your lives! 

Archive: Yes, just leave my name attached. 

Web site: http://slashingmulder.com/JoB/ 

Special thanks to my beta-readers Joey and Xscribe. 

* * *

Chapter 17  
X-Patrol 

Springtime in the Mountains 

The Fox and Lion 

Wednesday, December 25, 2002 

On top of a snow-covered hill somewhere in Missouri, Mulder gazed up at the bright northern star. At a little over five months pregnant he finally felt the baby move that day. It had been a wonderful Christmas present and made him feel closer to Walter. The heavy winter clothes concealed his condition from his traveling companions. But Mulder couldn't avoid telling Simon any longer. 

The crunch of footsteps on the snow-encrusted ground announced the other man's presence. Mulder turned his head to watch Simon climb the hill; the lenses of the man's gold-framed glasses were slightly fogged. 

"You wanted to talk in private?" Simon said. 

"Yes. I didn't feel it was appropriate to have this conversation in front of your son." Mulder looked up at Simon who stood at least four inches taller and had an aura of authority about him that reminded the former FBI agent of Walter. 

Gazing back up at the star-filled sky, Mulder fortified himself for their conversation. This wasn't going to be easy for either of them. "I've been putting off telling you because I didn't know how you'd respond. But I think I've come to know you pretty well over the months we've been traveling together." 

"Does this have to do with your sneaking off anytime there's a full moon?" Simon asked. 

"Ah ... yes and no." Mulder hadn't been planning on telling Simon about being a werewolf, only about being a pregnant hermaphrodite. Maybe he should come completely clean. "When I was in the hands of the aliens they genetically altered me. They changed my body to fit their needs." 

"What do you mean? What did they do to you?" 

"They gave me female reproductive organs." 

"That's impossible...." 

"No, it's not." 

"Why are you telling me this now?" 

"I'm five and a half month's pregnant with my lover's baby." Mulder opened his coat and pulled up the sweater to expose his round belly. 

"That's hardly proof that you're pregnant," Simon said. "You could just have a pot belly." 

It had been a long time since Mulder dealt with a skeptic. He pulled his clothes back in place. "In another month you won't be able to deny it." 

Simon gave him an uncertain look. "Are you going to tell me why you sneak out of camp during the full moon?" 

"I'm a werewolf." Mulder couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips at the Scullyish expression on Simon's face. It was priceless. "I have no control over my body during the full moon. Once the moon is full in the sky I change into a wolf." 

"Mulder, just tell me the truth ... please." 

"Wait, I'll show you the truth," Mulder said as he concentrated on changing into a wolf. Soon he was looking up at a very startled Simon. Mulder didn't stay in wolf form longer than a heartbeat. He was too worried that he'd give Simon a heart attack. 

"How?" Simon asked. After Mulder shape-shifted back. 

"The aliens ... it was part of their genetic manipulation." 

"Okay I believe you." Simon chuckled nervously. "After all we're in the 'Show Me State' and you just did." 

"There is something else you need to know," Mulder said. "My lover is a man who is a partial hermaphrodite. Blair is a full hermaphrodite while Jim is a partial hermaphrodite." 

"What do you mean partial hermaphrodite?" Simon asked. 

"They are only hermaphrodites in their animal form, while in their human form they don't have any outwardly visible female reproductive organs." 

"How were they changed? Did the aliens abduct them, too?" 

"No. I infected my lover and a former lover, and Alex who is another full hermaphrodite infected Jim, and Jim infected Blair. We had no idea that we could spread our mutation onto our lovers during sex until it was too late." 

"So this son of yours is--" 

"My lover, Walter, gave birth to him while in wolf form." 

"God, this is fucking unbelievable." Simon shoved his hands into his coat pockets and looked up at the star-filled sky. "Is there anything else?" 

"Yes. When I left, Blair was due to give birth to Jim's baby shortly. Their son or daughter should be about four months old by now." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther, Wolf, and Bear 

Wednesday, December 25, 2002 

The snow buffeted the outside windows and walls while the wind wailed as a full-blown blizzard raged outside. 

Ellison paced in the warmth of their bedroom; he held his baby son who was wailing even louder then the wind. "C'mon, Joey, Daddy really needs to get some sleep tonight." 

Since Joseph's birth, Ellison had taken pleasure in every second of his son's life. The Sentinel particularly enjoyed watching the way his guide glowed whenever he took care of their baby. 

Blair hurried into the room and over to them. His robe was hanging open and his hair was a curly mess. He carried a frozen, gel-filled, plastic, teething ring that he had gotten out of the freezer. "Shh, sweetie, this will make the pain go away." Blair placed the teething ring in the baby's mouth. 

Joey continued to cry and thrash until the coolness from the ring soothed his sore gums. The loud shrieks quieted to hiccup sobs. 

While holding the teething ring in place with one hand and cradling his son with the other, Ellison kissed Joey's forehead. "That feels better doesn't it, champ?" 

"Jim, why don't you let me have him so you can get some sleep," Blair said. 

Ellison took in Blair's bloodshot eyes. His lover had been getting even less sleep than him. "No, you go back to bed. I'm going to take Joey to the great room and see if I can rock him to sleep." 

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm sure," Ellison said, hearing the skeptical tone in Blair's voice. "It's not like I have to get up and go to work in the morning." 

"We're going to have to shovel in the morning." Blair climbed into bed and pulled the heavy comforter over him. 

"You better get your beauty rest then; by the way the snow is coming down we're going to have a lot of deep drifts to dig through." Ellison turned off the light as he walked out of the bedroom. 

Walter was sitting at the desk in the great room writing in his journal. 

"Don't you ever sleep?" Ellison asked. 

"No, I don't," Walter replied gruffly. 

Ellison realized he'd put his foot in his mouth. Walter hadn't slept well since Fox had turned himself into the military. Then after Frohike told them that Fox had been abducted by an alien morph, Walter spent even less time sleeping. 

Sitting on the rocker with Joey cradled in his arms, Ellison asked, "What are you writing?" 

"I've been keeping a daily journal about our lives and Connor's development. I plan to give this to Fox to read when he returns." 

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that." Ellison doubted that Fox would return, but he would never say as much aloud. Better to allow Walter to have this small hope -- it would be all too soon that it would become obvious to the man that Fox was gone forever. 

Walter set his pen down and stood. "I'm going to make some tea would you like a cup?" 

"Sure. With honey, if you wouldn't mind." 

"I don't mind." Walter looked at him and smiled. "I remember how hard it was when Connor was teething. At least he wasn't nearly as loud as Joey and is sleeping through the night now." 

"Don't rub it in," Ellison said as he rocked. His eyes fell on the Christmas tree decorated with all of the ornaments they made last year. On the mantle were handmade ceramic candlestick holders that Byers had made them using the pottery wheel they'd given him last year. 

No matter how festive they tried to make their children's first Christmas, Fox's absence had hung over it like a dark cloud. Fortunately the babies were still too young to know what was going on. Ellison glanced down at his son's face. As Joey gummed the teething ring, his blue eyes looked up at his daddy's face. Ellison wondered if next Christmas would be any different. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Dog and Rat 

Friday, February 14, 2003 

Krycek carried the tray loaded with food upstairs to his and John's bedroom. His lover had been soundly asleep when Krycek had crept out of bed to make them breakfast. 

He heard a loud squeal of laughter as he approached the open bedroom door. John was no longer asleep he had Gwendolyn in bed with him and was giving the baby's belly raspberries. Each time John blew on her belly the baby would let loose a peal of happy laughter. 

"Happy Valentine's Day, John," Krycek said as he carried the tray over to the bed. 

John sat up against the headboard to allow the tray to be placed over his lap. "This looks and smells delicious. Thanks, Alex." 

Gwen crawled over to the tray and tried to put her hand in the hollandaise sauce covering the poached eggs and toast. Krycek grabbed her before she could be burned. "C'mere, Gwen, I brought you a nice bowl of cream of rice cereal," Krycek said as he climbed on the bed and sat his six-month-old daughter on his lap. 

A contented smile spread across John's lips as he picked up the mug of coffee. "This is the life. A man couldn't ask for more." 

"Are you really happy? Don't you miss any of your former life?" 

"I miss the challenges of being an FBI agent, but I don't miss the loneliness of living alone or the politics at the Hoover." John's brows furrowed as his expression turned serious. "I wouldn't trade my life now for what I had back then ... I love you and Gwen, and would fight to keep both of you." 

A shiver of arousal ran down Krycek's spine at the look of unbridled love that John was giving him. "I had my doubts last year around this time but I wouldn't want to go back to my former life either. I love you too much, John, to lose you now." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear 

Skinner sat on the recliner in his bedroom holding a framed photograph of Fox cuddling Connor in his arms. The photo had been a Christmas present from Frohike. The little man had taken several digital photographs of Skinner, Fox, and Connor over the summer. When the Gunmen had gotten the high resolution color laser printer Frohike had printed off 8 x 10 and 5 x 7 prints and made frames for them. Skinner had them displayed on the mantel in his and Fox's bedroom. He also placed one on the mantel in the great room next to photos of Jim, Blair, and Joey, and of John, Alex, and Gwen. Then there were two group photos of all of them, and another with them and the Gunmen, Liz and Laura. 

Frohike had been taking digital photographs of the babies every month and had given Skinner the prints of Connor so he could work on a scrapbook. Along with the journal it had become his winter project. Skinner used his artistic skill to embellish the pages of the scrapbook with whimsical illustrations. 

He hugged the photograph against his chest. "Next Valentine's Day, we'll be together." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox, Lion, and Horse 

Simon burrowed into the sleeping bag as the cold wind howled through the branches of the trees outside. They had just crossed the Illinois border into Indiana a few hours ago and were forced to make camp early as a winter snowstorm blew through the area. 

They had found a sheltered hollow, out of the main force of the storm, to tie their donkeys and set up camp. Being still early afternoon, none of the three men were tired, but they had zipped their sleeping bags together inside the tent and climbed inside to stay warm. Simon's thoughts turned to Mulder who was on his right. There was no longer the slightest bit of doubt in Simon's mind that Mulder was pregnant. At seven months the man was huge. Even Daryl had noticed and Simon finally had to have a talk with his son. 

"Do you have a name in mind for the baby?" Simon asked. 

"No. I want Walter to help select a name," Mulder said. "He didn't know that I was pregnant when I left." 

"How do you think he's going to take it?" 

"I think he'll be happy after the shock wears off." 

"Dad, I'm hungry," Daryl said. 

Simon dug into the bag at his side and came up with two protein bars. He handed one to his son and the other to Mulder. 

"I'm not hungry, Simon," Mulder said. 

"This isn't for you. It's for your baby." Simon knew Mulder's protest was because they were running low on supplies. 

Mulder sighed, took the bar and unwrapped it. "You play dirty." 

"Once the storm blows over I'll make us some hot soup." They had only six dried soup mixes left from what Mulder had gotten in Denver. After that they would have to hunt and scavenge for food. 

"As long as you're going to make soup, I'd really like the beer cheese soup," Mulder said as he chewed on the protein bar. 

"Okay." Simon smiled. Mulder had been having cravings for cheese over the past month. 

Mulder went on. "The first thing I want when we get to my place is a grilled cheese sandwich and a large bowl of cream of tomato soup." 

"I'll be sure to tell them that, Mulder, as I'm asking for a cup of coffee." It'd been over a year since Simon had a cup of coffee. When Mulder had told him they had a five year supply of coffee beans stored in their root cellar, Simon decided that was more valuable than any gold coins Mulder had offered him. 

"Do you know what today is?" Mulder asked. 

Simon had his old day planner where he marked off each day. "Valentine's Day." The planner had a calendar that went up to 2004. 

"Next Valentine's Day I'm going to celebrate in bed with my partner," Mulder said. 

Simon chuckled. "You'll have to find a babysitter." 

"I'm sure I won't have a problem." Mulder rubbed his belly. "The baby's real active right now." 

"Can I...?" 

"Sure." 

Simon placed his hand on Mulder's belly and felt the baby kick. "I delivered four babies since I became a police officer, so if we don't make it back in time I don't want you to worry." 

"That puts my mind at ease." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear, Panther, Wolf, Dog and Rat 

Thursday, March 27, 2003 

The men sat around the great room talking while their babies played in the playpen. On the coffee table were several issues of The Magic Mountain magazine that the Gunmen published each month. They had decided against calling it The Magic Bullet since it had become a community paper more than a conspiracy zine. 

Krycek sat on the loveseat with his arm around John's shoulder. 

John sipped from a tumbler filled of corn whiskey. He didn't drink often, only occasionally imbibing once or twice a week when he needed something extra to help him unwind. "At the rate the snow is melting, we should be able to get outside next week and start the spring clean up." 

"I'm looking forward to it," Blair said. "This summer, I want to build a Japanese garden with a tea house on the other side of the stream -- a place where we can go to meditate." 

"Do you know what's involved in making a Japanese garden?" Krycek asked. The idea intrigued him. At times he needed a place where he could go to reflect. 

"Yes." Blair nodded. "I'm drawing up the plans for the moon bridge that will span the stream, stone lanterns, stone water basin, and the tea house. It will be beautiful, nestled in the tall trees." 

"We have a lot of small construction projects to do, including the play ground area for the children," Walter said. 

"At least we're through with any major construction projects for a while," Jim said. 

"Liz wants us to work on widening and smoothing out the paths between our homes, but that shouldn't take too long with the tractor," John said. 

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for all those projects," Walter said. 

Krycek glanced over at Walter. The man was a steady source of strength. If he was feeling the loss of Fox, he had locked those feelings away and only projected a calm exterior. Each day that passed that Fox wasn't home made it even less likely that he'd ever be back. Walter must have realized that much and yet he carried on as if nothing was wrong. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox, Lion, and Horse 

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 

The weather was perfect for traveling. Not too cold and not too hot, it was a mild sixty-eight degrees. They were finally in Virginia and less than two days from Mulder's mountain home. 

While Mulder rode the donkey his large belly rested on the animal's back. He watched the back of Simon's head as the man rode a few yards ahead of him. Simon had been a godsend. The tall man helped Mulder on and off the donkey, massaged his swollen feet, and even helped him bathe. 

A twisting pain in his belly, made Mulder bite his lower lip so he wouldn't cry out loud. He'd been having them since the night before. Mulder tried to ignore them. Not wanting the pains to slow them down, not when he was so close to being back in Walter's arms. Suddenly his water broke soaking the blanket on the donkey's back. 

"Ah, fuck." He couldn't ignore them any longer. "Simon, stop!" 

"What's wrong?" Simon glanced back at him. 

"I'm about to have this baby." 

"This isn't an April Fools day joke is it?" 

"No ... I think I've been in labor since last night." 

"You think? Since last night?" Simon's eyes widened. "Just how far apart are your contractions?" 

"A couple of minutes ... my water just broke." 

"Damn!" Simon turned to his son. "Daryl, spread out Mulder's sleeping bag on the ground and place the first aid kit next to it then set up camp! Get a fire going and start boiling water!" Without another word, both Banks leapt off the donkeys. Simon hurried back to Mulder and helped him down. 

Mulder gasped, "Oh, it hurts!" 

Simon guided Mulder over to the sleeping bag and lowered him onto it, then removed his moccasins and wet sweatpants. Next Simon placed a large towel over Mulder's groin and thighs to provide him some modesty. 

The pain as the baby entered Mulder's birth canal had him clawing at the sleeping bag. "Oh God...." was all that Mulder could get out before the next contraction had him pushing the baby from his body. He lay back gasping for air as Simon kneeled beside him and scooped the baby up. 

"That was quick." 

"Tell me about it," Mulder said relieved that it was over and hadn't been as bad as he expected. 

"You have a sweet baby girl." Simon cleaned out the baby's mouth with his finger and gave her a light swat on the butt that started her crying. He clamped, then cut the umbilical cord. As Simon was placing the baby on Mulder's chest the former FBI man cried out in pain. 

"What's wrong?" Simon asked. 

"I don't know! Oh God!" Tears streamed down Mulder's cheeks as he felt a similar pain to the one he'd just gone through. He bore down and a second baby was born. 

"Oh, dear lord, twins." Simon looked stunned as he left the one baby on Mulder's chest and hurried to pick up the second baby. 

Mulder looked down at his daughter crying loudly as the second baby's cries joined hers. "Congratulations, Mulder, you have twin girls." 

The second baby was placed on Mulder's chest. They weren't identical twins; the second baby looked like Walter as much as a baby girl could look like her father while the first baby resembled Mulder. 

Simon placed a blanket over them. "After you deliver the afterbirth, I'll get the twins washed, diapered, and wrapped in blankets." 

Dampness on his chest had Mulder unbuttoning the oversized shirt and exposing his leaking nipples. He guided baby one over to his right nipple and placed it into her mouth. The baby didn't need any more coaxing as she latched on and started suckling. Mulder repeated the process with baby two until he had both babies nursing. The discomfort was well worth it as he watched them with amazement. He didn't even feel the afterbirth as a final contraction pushed it from his body. 

Using a washcloth, Simon cleaned Mulder's thighs and bottom then helped him on with a pair of briefs that he placed a small towel inside to soak up the expected blood. Once Daryl had the fire going and a kettle of water boiling, Simon used another washcloth that had been sanitized in hot water to clean the babies while they nursed. 

"We're going to have to make camp here for at least a week so you can mend," Simon said. 

"We're so close to home," Mulder sighed. 

"Dad, I can make it to the ranger's station if I leave right now and travel all night." 

Simon looked down at Mulder and the babies then at Daryl. "Take Sinbad, he's the fastest donkey and take your hunting rifle." 

"Cool! Thanks, Dad!" 

Mulder raised his head. "Daryl, when you get to the ranger station, ask Ranger Smith to bring his horse trailer. We'll need it to get Xena and Gabriel home." 

"Okay, Mulder, I'll be back soon with help!" Daryl said as he swung his hunting rifle over his shoulder. Running to the donkey, he climbed onto its back. Taking the reins, he started Sinbad trotting off in the direction of the ranger station using the map Mulder had drawn for them. 

The infants continued to suckle even after they had fallen to sleep. Mulder placed his fingers against his breast beside his nipples to free them from his daughters' mouths. 

"Let me diaper them and move you into the tent and off this messy sleeping bag." 

"We don't have diapers," Mulder said. 

"We have white cotton undershirts." 

"Simon ... thank you." Mulder smiled. "I can't believe I just gave birth to twins." 

"Me neither, Mulder." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Horse and Stork 

While Sean's breakfast cooked on the stove, he sat at the table to glance through the April issue of the Magic Mountain magazine. He was just getting comfortable when he heard a donkey bray outside and the sound of hooves on the pavement. 

He set the paper aside and stood, turned off the burner under the skillet of corned beef hash and hurried to the door. 

A teenage boy was just climbing down from the donkey when Sean stepped outside. 

"Ranger Smith?" 

"Yes. Who are you?" 

"I'm Daryl Banks. Mulder told me to ask you to bring the horse trailer and your truck." 

"Where is Mulder?" 

"He's about fifty miles from here," Daryl said. "I came to take you there." 

"Is Mulder all right? Why didn't he come with you?" Sean hurried to his pickup truck. 

"He just gave birth to twins. My dad didn't want to move him for at least a week." 

"He was pregnant?" Sean did the math in his head and figured that the babies could be Walter's -- at least he hoped they were. 

"Did he mention who the father was?" 

"Yeah, Walter Skinner." 

Sean sighed with relief as he climbed into the truck and backed it up to the horse trailer. It was large enough to carry two horses. He climbed out and hooked up the trailer. "What does Mulder want with the trailer?" 

"It's for our other two donkeys, Xena and Gabriel," Daryl said. 

"When was the last time you ate?" 

"Yesterday morning." 

"Come inside." Sean opened the door to the station. "I have hash on the stove. You can eat while I radio Walter." 

"Thanks." Daryl sat at the table while Sean scooped up a large plate of food and poured him a glass of milk. 

Then Sean went to use the radio. When he got no response from at Walter's place, Sean radioed Frohike's place. 

"Langly. Over." The blond Gunman answered. 

"Langly, it's Sean. Over." 

"What can I do for you, Ranger? Over." 

"I need to get a message to Walter. Over." 

"Go ahead, shoot. Over." 

"I'm heading out with my truck to pick up Mulder. I should have him back at the station this afternoon. Over." 

"Where is he?" Langly's voice rose in excitement. "Um. Over." 

"According to the young man who just showed up at my door, Mulder's about fifty miles from here. Tell Walter to get his butt over to the station. There will be an additional surprise for him. Over and out." Sean couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face. 

Sean turned to Daryl as the boy shoveled the food into his mouth. "Daryl, I'm going to put your donkey in the stable and feed him. Come outside to the truck when you're finished eating." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear, Dog, Wolf, Panther, Rat, Frog, Stork, Puppy, Lion, Horse, and Fox 

Skinner was outside tilling the large vegetable gardens with John and Blair. 

Alex had cooking duties and was cleaning the stone barbecue grill in the backyard. It was Jim's turn to watch the babies. He had them outside in their playpen by the picnic table. Since it was too early in the year for bugs, he didn't have to cover the playpen with mosquito netting. 

Langly came flying into the backyard on his bicycle with Frohike and Jimmy close behind. They came to a sliding stop. 

Skinner shook his head and went back to tilling. 

"Guys!" Langly shouted, "Sean radioed! Mulder's back!" 

Dropping the hoe, Skinner hurried over to him. "Where is he?" 

Langly caught his breath then went on, "Sean went to pick him up. He said to tell you to get your butt over to the ranger station that he'd have Mulder back there by this afternoon." 

"Where is he picking Fox up?" Skinner was confused. "How did Fox contact Sean?" 

"I don't know. He said a young man showed up at his door this morning and told him that Mulder was fifty miles from the station." 

Skinner became worried. "Something must be wrong -- why would Sean need to pick up Fox? And who was this man who came to see Sean? What's his connection to Fox?" 

John put his hand on Skinner' shoulder. "Walt, it doesn't matter. All that matters right now is that Fox is back. Let's grab the babies and head over to the ranger station." 

Skinner nodded. He had butterflies in his belly as he hurried toward the house. "I'll get the Bjorns and the diaper bag." He came out a couple of minutes later with the items; he tossed a Bjorn to Alex and another to Jim. Skinner put the remaining one on then picked up Connor from the playpen and strapped him into the Bjorn. "You're getting too big for this ... I'm going to have to make something larger to carry you around." 

They retrieved their mountain bikes from the barn and started off on the eight-mile trip to the station. They arrived a little after eleven. 

Jim handed Joey to Blair who went into the ranger station to feed their son. Blair was wearing the smaller pair of bib overalls that Liz had made for him. The overalls made it easy for him to nurse his son. 

Skinner carried the diaper bag into the station. He'd smelled Connor for the last mile -- the baby was in need of a diaper change. Carrying his son into the bathroom, Skinner laid him on the rug and kneeled to remove Conner's snap on shorts and soiled diaper. 

"Daddy Fox is coming home," Skinner said as he emptied the poopy diaper in the toilet then rolled it up and placed it in a plastic bag before washing and powdering Connor's bottom. "We want you to look and smell your best for him." 

The baby kicked and giggled as his mommy put the diaper on him. "Fox is going to be surprised at how big you've gotten and how fast you can crawl. I bet you're going to be as athletic as your Daddy Fox." Skinner's hands shook as he fastened the Velcro closures. He was anxious about seeing his lover again. Skinner was afraid that after almost nine months Fox might have fallen out of love with him. And he worried about this man Langly mentioned. 

"Walt, what's wrong?" Frohike asked from the doorway. "I thought you'd be dancing on the rooftop." 

"I'm just nervous. It's been so long since I've seen him." Skinner picked up Connor and stood. "What if Fox's feelings for me have changed? What if he no longer loves me?" 

"Give me my Godson, crazy man." Frohike took the baby into his arms. "You need to pull yourself together. Fox loves you and spent the last eight months traveling across this country to get home to you." 

Skinner couldn't help his feelings of insecurity. He still remembered how it felt when Sharon had filed for divorce. They had separated to work out their problems; only Sharon seemed to like the freedom of living on her own. Would these months alone make Fox wish to be free again? 

They headed back outside and joined the others on the picnic table to wait. It was another two hours before Sean's pickup truck with the horse trailer drove into the parking lot. Skinner wondered who the teenage boy was in the cab sitting next to Sean. In the bed of the truck a black man was kneeling and looking out at them with a wide smile. 

Jim whooped and shouted. "Simon!" 

Skinner's face fell. Where was Fox? 

Simon put his finger up against his lips. "Quiet, Jim, you'll wake them." 

Walking over to the truck, Skinner and the other men looked in the bed. On top of a sleeping bag covered with a blanket was Fox, sleeping on his side with his arm protectively around two newborn babies. 

"You must be Walter," Simon said. "Congratulations, you have twin daughters." 

"Mine?" Skinner asked as he noticed that one of the twins looked a little like him. 

Fox's eyes fluttered open; he looked up at Skinner and smiled. "Hey, sweetheart, you missed all the fun." He pointed to the babies. "Meet your daughters, One and Two, unless you can think of better names for them." 

"Fox, are these really mine?" 

"Whose else would they be?" 

Skinner felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. "We're not naming our daughters One and Two," he said gruffly then leaned down and kissed Fox on the lips. "I missed you." 

"I missed you, too." Fox smiled sleepily. "Where's Connor?" 

"He's here," Frohike said as he held up the baby. 

Fox's eyes widened. "He's gotten so big." 

"Melvin, can you take Connor home?" Skinner asked as he removed the Bjorn and handed it to the little man. "I'm going to help get Fox and the twins home." 

"Sure, Walt." Frohike smirked and whispered, "See you had nothing to be worried about." 

Simon climbed out of the truck and hugged Jim and Blair, and then looked at the baby in Blair's arms. 

"Is this your baby?" Simon asked. 

"This is our son, Joseph -- Joey for short," Blair said. 

"He's a cute boy." 

"Where did you and Daryl hook up with Fox?" Jim asked. 

"Nevada," Simon said. "We spent the last seven months together." 

Daryl rocked on his heels. "Blair, Mulder said that I could have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when we got here." 

"Then we should get back to our home, so I can make you one," Blair said. 

Skinner walked over and held out his hand to Simon. "Thank you for looking after Fox." 

"We looked after each other," Simon said as he shook Skinner's hand. "If it weren't for Mulder we'd never have gotten the supplies we needed to make it through winter." 

"If there's anything I can do to repay you...." 

"Don't worry, you will. Mulder has promised us a piece of land and your help in building a log home for Daryl and me." 

John and Alex looked up from talking to Fox. 

Skinner looked at his companions and grinned. "Simon, we're going to build you one hell of a log home." 

"You got that right," Jim said and slapped Simon on the back. "You're looking at expert log home builders." 

"Shall we head home?" John asked. 

"Let me get our donkeys and possessions," Simon said. 

"I'll help you." Jim walked with Simon to the horse trailer. 

"C'mon, Daryl, you can ride Jim's bike," Blair said as he placed Joey back in the Bjorn. 

With a spring in his step, Skinner returned to the pickup truck. 

Langly and Jimmy were talking to Fox. "Mulder, we'll see you back at your place tomorrow," Langly was saying. "It looks like the Skinman is chomping at the bit to spend some time alone with you." With a smirk at Skinner, Langly grabbed Jimmy's arm. "C'mon, Jimmy, we're going to make a killing babysitting this summer." 

Skinner looked down at his lover. "Fox, do you think you could ride one of Sean's horses home?" 

"I'm not straddling anything for a while," Fox said as he sat up with a pained expression. 

"Sore?" 

"Very." 

"I'll fly you home," Sean offered. 

"Thanks, Sean." Skinner lowered the gate of the truck then tenderly picked up one of the infants. She was perfect from the shape of her head, button nose, and tiny pink lips. Fox cradled the other infant as he scooted out of the truck. They stood facing each other; Skinner gazed into Fox's beautiful hazel eyes. Then the older man's eyes dropped to the round mounds in his lover's shirt. "Those are new," he commented. 

"Our daughters seem to like them." Fox yawned. "Right now, all I want to do is sleep in our bed for the next week. No more camping out for me." 

The look of total exhaustion on Fox's face had Skinner putting one hand behind his lover's back and helping him over to the helicopter. If Skinner didn't have the baby in his arm he'd have carried Fox to the helicopter. They should make it home before the others so he'd be able to put Fox and the babies to bed. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Panther, Lion, Horse, Rat, and Wolf 

After putting the donkeys in the barn, Jim helped Simon carry his bags inside. 

"Simon, this will be yours and Daryl's room for as long as you need it," Jim said as he set his friend's bags on the bed. 

Simon carried the rest of their things into the bedroom. It was a large room with a bunk bed, built-in dresser, and shelving. There were children books on the shelves along with old Tonka trucks. The room had a bay window with a window seat. The honey-colored logs gave the room a homey feeling. He and Daryl should be very comfortable here until their log home was built. 

"You and Blair found yourselves a real nice place to settle down," Simon commented. 

"We like it here. At times it can be a little hectic with three babies and six men under one roof, but I can't think of a place where I'd rather live." 

"The other men seem supportive and friendly." 

"They are," Jim said. "Although I never thought I'd enjoy living with three former fibbies." His expression turned serious. "So I take it Fox told you about what happened to us." 

"Yes. At first I had a hard time believing him, then Mulder shape-shifted into a wolf and I couldn't deny what my eyes were seeing." 

"That's not going to be a problem is it?" 

"No. I spent the last seven months sleeping in a three-person tent with Mulder. Him being a hermaphroditic werewolf didn't bother me in the least." Simon looked out the window. "Do you want to show me around?" 

"Sure. I'll give you a tour of the house then the farm." 

When they came out of the bedroom, Daryl was sitting at a large counter eating a sandwich. The counter had six stools. At the deep kitchen sink, Alex was washing the excess salt off a ham. 

"I thought we were going to have a barbecue," Jim said. 

"I decided we needed something special to celebrate Fox's return, and your reunion with your friends," Alex said as he looked at Simon. "Simon, I hope you like honey baked ham with sweet potatoes, corn pudding, and biscuits." 

"I think you could twist my arm," Simon quipped. 

Jim opened the refrigerator and pulled out two homemade dark ales. He used a bottle opener to pop off the bottle caps and handed one to Simon. "John and I made this last month." 

Simon took a sip. "Mm, I didn't know you knew how to brew beer." 

"John's brother Mike showed us how to go about it." Jim led Simon into the laundry room. "After the kitchen, this room gets the most use. You wouldn't believe how many cloth diapers a baby can go through in a day." 

"When Daryl was a baby, he used to go through between eight and ten pampers a day." Simon glanced around the room. "Where do you get the laundry soap?" 

"Liz and Laura make soap. We trade with them." 

"Mulder mentioned them." 

Jim showed Simon to the next room. "Through here is our greenhouse. We grow herbs, bib lettuce, hydroponics tomatoes, and cucumbers during the winter. And we're starting some vegetable seedlings to plant outside once the weather is warm enough." 

"I can see where a greenhouse would come in handy in the winter." 

Jim led him into a hallway and through a doorway into a bedroom. "This is Blair's and my room." 

Blair was sitting at a small desk drawing what looked like a Japanese lantern. The baby was sleeping on the middle of the large wrought iron bed covered with a blanket. 

"Is Jim giving you the grand tour?" Blair asked. 

"Yes. I'm impressed so far." Simon was getting some ideas for his home. "This place is really well constructed. I bet it holds up well in a storm." 

Jim nodded. "Not only that, log construction provides better insulation than frame construction. It's easier to heat in the winter." 

"And it's beautiful." Simon ran his hand over the log wall. "You have a really nice home." 

"Just wait until you see our root cellar and workshop," Blair said. 

They walked upstairs and Jim showed him the loft, bathroom, and the two bedrooms then they walked down the spiral staircase into the great room and headed outside. 

Blair had been right. The root cellar was impressive with its many tunnels and chambers. Simon picked up one of the large canning jars on the shelf. The handwritten label said it contained German potato salad, it was next to jars of dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, sauerkraut, pickled asparagus, and pickled beets. Simon noticed a pattern. Another shelving unit had canned fruits, jellies, preserves, chutney, and peanut butter. The one next to that had jars of pasta sauces and salsas. And beside that were jars of vegetables: green beans, corn, peppers, eggplant, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, beets.... Empty jars outnumbered the full jars. It was early spring so they must have gone through those jars over winter. 

"We dry a lot of fruits and vegetables," Jim said as he held up a jar of dried onions. "We use them in soups and dips. Nothing goes to waste around here." 

"This is impressive, Jim," Simon said. "Next spring I'll have to get some seeds so Daryl and I can start growing our own food. We'll need your help to teach us how to put the food up." 

"Don't worry, by this coming winter you'll have learned how to can and plan your meals to get you through winter." Jim smiled. 

Simon glanced around the cellar. "You know I'm looking forward to learning. I'm just so glad to finally find a place to settle down." He smiled. "And I think I'm going to like my new neighborhood." 

"C'mon, I'll show you the workshop." 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear, Panther, and Lion 

When Simon and Jim finally walked back inside the house, the fragrant aroma of ham baking in the oven greeted them. Walter was in the great room working at the desk. 

They walked over to him. 

"How are Fox and the twins doing?" Jim asked. 

"Fine. After Fox fed them, I put them and him to bed." Walter smiled. "I'm going to need another crib for the twins. Connor is taking a nap in the crib so I had to put his sisters in a dresser drawer." 

"I'll help you build one." 

"Thanks, Jim." 

Jim leaned forward to look at the map Walter had spread out over the desk. "What are you working on?" 

"Fox told me where the land was that he'd promised Simon. I was looking at the survey map of the area and trying to determine the best location for the log home." 

Simon moved closer and looked at the map. "Where's my land?" 

"Here." Skinner outlined it with a red pencil. "You're going to have a beautiful view of the lake. I think we should plan a two-story home with the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. So the home doesn't take up too much of the flat land. It will give us more room to build a chicken coop, a barn for your donkeys, plus leave room for vegetable gardens." 

The piece of land was larger than Simon had imagined. When Mulder had said it was on the north side of the lake, he never imagined it was lake front property with at least an acre of shoreline. He'd have to build a pier and see if it were possible to get a fishing boat. "That sounds like a good plan, Walter. When can we get started?" 

"In a few days, as soon as we get the spring planting done." 

"Good. I'll help with the spring planting." Simon finally had something to look forward to. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Fox, Bear, Panther, Lion, Wolf, Dog, Rat, Horse, and Puppy 

The stereo sound of babies crying woke Mulder from a sound sleep. Before he could get out of bed, Walter was in the room and over at the dresser. 

"Stay in bed, Fox, I'll take care of them," Walter said as he kneeled next to the bottom dresser drawer where the infants had been sleeping. 

Mulder winced as he sat up in bed -- a not so subtle reminder of giving birth to twins the day before. The pain from their actual births was becoming a distant memory. He had another realization -- the pain and discomfort was something he'd go through again because the end result was well worth the price. 

After checking their diapers, Walter carried them over to the bed. "They must be hungry." 

Mulder lay back and took them one at a time into his arms and positioned them against his breasts. The babies didn't need any coaxing; their tiny mouths sought and found their mother's nipples. Mulder winced as they started suckling, then he glanced up at Walter who was watching him with a look of pure lust. 

"Do you know how incredibly sexy you are?" Walter asked. 

"Sexy?" Mulder shook his head. "I'm a mess! I have boobs and a flabby belly with stretch marks." He didn't know what got into his lover -- unless. "Maybe you need glasses again." 

"I don't need glasses -- my vision is perfect." Walter sat on the bed and with a finger, he traced around the nipple his daughter was sucking. "Fox, you're sexy as hell." 

"You're just horny because you haven't had sex in nine months," Mulder said. 

"I'll always be horny for your body." Walter looked at the babies. "We need names for them. I'll tell you what, I'll name One and you name Two." 

"Are you sure you don't want those names?" 

"Positive." 

"Okay, you first. What do you want to name One?" 

"I'd like to name her after my Grandmother." 

"No offense, Walter, but One is a better name than Granny," Mulder quipped. 

Walter rolled his eyes. "Her name was Chloe." 

"Hm, that's a nice name. It's Greek isn't it?" 

"Yes. It means blooming." 

Mulder grinned. "Like a flower." 

"Yes. Your turn." 

Looking down at Two, Mulder studied her face; there was no doubt she was Walter's daughter. He wanted the perfect name -- a name that would mark her birth and how he felt. He glanced out the bedroom window at the trees and the cerulean blue sky. "Aviva." 

"Aviva?" Walter repeated puzzled. 

"It's Hebrew for joyful spring." 

"Then it's perfect." 

Mulder felt dampness against his belly. "Walter." 

"Yes." 

"Avi just wet her diaper can you change her?" 

"Sure. What about Chloe?" 

Mulder checked her diaper. "She's still dry." 

Walter took Aviva from Mulder. "Alex is going to have dinner ready soon; would you like to eat in bed or in the dining room?" 

"Dining room." Although he was sore as hell, Mulder wanted to be around his friends and not stuck in bed. 

After Walter left, Connor woke and started babbling in the crib. Hearing the happy noises coming from his son, Mulder gently placed Chloe on the mattress in the center of the bed then scooted over to the crib. 

"Hey, Con, did you miss me?" It saddened Mulder that he'd missed so many months of his son's life. He planned to make up for it as he picked Connor up and hugged him against his chest. 

"Do you want to say hi to your sister?" Mulder placed Connor on the bed next to Chloe and watched him carefully so he didn't harm the infant. Instead of looking at the Chloe, Connor quickly crawled across the mattress. Mulder had to dive for the baby before he could crawl off the edge and land on the hardwood floor. 

"Jeez, you're a fast little thing," Mulder said as he scooped the baby up in his arms. Connor squirmed and tried to get down. 

Walter chuckled in the doorway. "That's why we place him behind bars during the day." 

"Bars?" Mulder glared at Walter. "Do you want to explain?" 

"Don't look at me that way, Fox. We place him and the other two babies in a playpen. Connor inherited your speed; the last time he played outside the playpen he was halfway up the stairs before I could catch him. I can only imagine how fast he'll be once he starts walking." 

"I'll take him jogging with me." Mulder kissed the top of Connor's head as he held the baby on his lap. 

Skinner carried Aviva over to the crib and laid her inside then he picked up Chloe and checked her diaper again. "Now she's wet." 

"Walter, can you bring me my robe from the bathroom after you change her?" 

"Your robe is in the armoire. I'll get it for you." Walter carried Chloe over to the armoire. 

"You don't have to, I can get it myself." 

Walter smiled. "I plan on pampering you for the next month, so get used to it." He dropped the plush forest green robe on the bed beside his lover. 

"If that pampering includes making me a grilled cheese sandwich and cream of tomato soup then I'm at your mercy." 

"I'm pretty good at making those," Walter leered, "so consider yourself at my mercy." 

"You just made me incredibly hot." 

"We're going to have to find a way to cool you off later." 

"Promise?" 

"Promise." Walter carried Chloe out of the room. 

Mulder hugged Connor. "If I put you on the floor do you promise not to make a break for it?" He set the baby down then pulled on the robe. He followed Connor out the bedroom doorway. 

When they had arrived home, Mulder hadn't paid a lot of attention to the new addition. He'd been more interested in going to sleep. Now as he followed behind Connor, Mulder took in the details. The dining room table had been replaced with a larger one with twelve chairs. The kitchen was larger. Like the dining room, it had been expanded into part of the old parlor with a counter that had six counter stools. 

The great room was a masterpiece. Mulder looked at the large stone fireplace and the spiral staircase that went up to the two new bedrooms and connected with the loft. Jim, Blair, Simon, and John were sitting on the sofa and chairs in front of the fireplace. 

"How are you feeling, Fox?" John asked as he reached down and scooped Connor up in his arms and gave the baby's little belly a raspberry. Connor giggled and squirmed. 

"I'm sore." Mulder sat on the sofa and pulled his robe over his long legs. He noticed the two other babies playing in the playpen. "Blair, you had a boy?" 

"Yes. Joseph Sandburg-Ellison." 

"He's a good-looking boy," Mulder said then turned to John. "Yours and Alex's daughter is going to be a heartbreaker." 

John straightened with pride as he passed Connor to Mulder. "Gwen's my pride and joy." 

A foul smell reached Mulder's nose and he sighed, "Connor just messed his diaper. I better go change him." 

Connor was suddenly plucked from his arms. Mulder looked up at Walter's smiling face as he placed a book on Mulder's lap. 

"You can look at Connor's scrapbook while I change his diaper." Walter leaned down and kissed Mulder softly on the lips. "I want you to relax, sweetheart. I'll take care of our children until you recover." 

The look in Walter's eyes told Mulder that taking care of him was more important to Walter than being taken care of was to Mulder. So he would allow his lover his wish. "Thanks, Walter. When you get a chance I'd really like an iced tea." 

"I'll get it for you," Alex said from the kitchen. 

Daryl and Jimmy came in through the back door as Walter carried Connor into the bathroom to change his diaper. 

"Dad, you should see the lake our home is going to be on!" Daryl said. "Jimmy showed me where he and the Gunmen live. It's only six miles from here and our place will be three miles in between this place and their place." 

"I'm looking forward to seeing it," Simon said. 

Blair stood and stretched. "After our chores tomorrow, Jim and I will take you to see your new property and our neighbors." 

Alex carried a tray with deviled eggs and iced tea over to the coffee table. He passed the tea around then held the plate of deviled eggs out to Mulder. 

"Thanks, Alex," Mulder said as he took one of the eggs. "I really missed having fresh eggs." 

"It's nice having you back home," Alex said. 

Mulder ate the egg then took a sip of tea before setting the glass down and opening up the scrapbook. He smiled at the illustrations. Who'd have thought A.D. Walter Skinner would be so artistic? The man could have made a living illustrating children's books. And Mulder recognized his favorite nursery tale 'The Ugly Duckling' drawn on the first three pages with baby photographs of Connor. Mulder had tears in his eyes by the time he made it to Christmas, where photographs of his family and friends filled the pages. Connor was wearing a cute knit cap that Liz had made for him. 

As if on cue Liz and Laura walked in through the front door. They were carrying their doctor's bags. 

Liz stopped in front of him. "Welcome back, Mulder, now get your butt in the bedroom. Melvin told us you gave birth to twins yesterday and we want to examine you and the twins." 

Simon stood and cleared his throat. 

Mulder smiled, grateful for the interruption. "Before we go into the bedroom, I'd like to introduce, Simon Banks. Simon delivered my babies. Simon, this is Doctor Laura Nightingale and Colonel Elizabeth Nash, MD." 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Banks." 

"Please, call me Simon," he said, shaking their hands. "The pleasure is mine, Mulder told me a lot about you ladies." 

"We'll have to visit over dinner," Liz said as she looked toward the kitchen. "C'mon, Mulder, stop stalling." 

"You just want to get me naked," Mulder said as he stood and walked toward his bedroom. 

"He's onto us, Laura," Liz quipped as they followed him into the bedroom and shut the door. 

The two doctors made a beeline over to the crib. "Mulder, they're beautiful," Laura said as they each picked up one of the infants. 

"Have you named them yet?" Liz asked as she placed the baby on the bed. 

"That's Chloe and Laura has Aviva." 

Walter slipped into the room while they were examining the babies. 

"Aviva is in excellent health," Laura pronounced after listening to the baby's heart and checking her ears, eyes, and mouth. Laura then cuddled the baby against her chest. 

Liz rubbed some ointment on Chloe's butt. "She has a little rash on her bottom, but nothing a little ointment won't cure." 

Aviva was placed back in the crib and Laurie snapped on a pair of latex gloves. "Mulder, I want to examine you to make sure there wasn't any tearing or infection. Strip and get on the bed." 

This was the moment Mulder had been dreading. Laura had given him a full physical last year and it hadn't been a pleasant experience. Removing the briefs and the bloodstained pad, Mulder kept on the robe; he just opened it as he lay on the bed with his feet on the mattress and legs spread. Walter took the bloody pad and disposed of it then placed a fresh one in Mulder's briefs. 

Mulder stared up at the ceiling while Laura examined him, invading him with her fingers. Walter sat next to Mulder and held his hand. 

"You're healing nicely," Laura announced after a couple of minutes of probing. "You can get dressed." 

When they finally walked out of the bedroom, the dining room table was set and Alex was carving the ham at the kitchen counter. He carried two platters full of sliced ham and placed them on the table next to the other dishes. The babies were placed in their highchairs next to the table as everyone sat down to eat. The bowls of vegetables and bread were passed around. 

Mulder sat to the right of Walter who had claimed the head of the table with Connor's highchair between them. He watched as Walter filled a plate with pureed vegetables and fruit for their son then proceeded to feed Connor in between eating himself -- a forkful of ham for Walter, then a spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes for Connor. 

"Mm, Alex, this is really good," Mulder said as he tasted the corn pudding. 

"I found the recipe in one of your cookbooks." 

"It goes nicely with ham." 

Simon nodded. "It's been a long time since I had a meal this good." 

Jim grinned as he scooped sweet potatoes onto his plate. "Now that Fox is back, we'll have to get him to make his chicken scallopini for us." 

Mulder smiled. "I'm looking forward to cooking in our kitchen again instead of over a campfire." 

Daryl filled his plate to overflowing. "If we don't have to eat roasted rattlesnake or squirrel again I'll be happy." 

John chuckled. "Since we don't have rattlesnakes in this part of the country and we got plenty of food, I'd say you won't have to eat either while living here." 

"What's your favorite food, Daryl?" Blair asked. 

"Pizza," the teenager said. 

"It's been a long time since we had a pizza party," Walter said. 

Jim nodded. "If we start making mozzarella cheese, we should have enough for a dozen pizzas by May." 

"Daryl's birthday is May 26," Simon said. 

"Well that settles it," Mulder said, "We'll have a pizza party for Daryl's birthday." 

Daryl smiled. "Cool." 

It felt great to be home with his family and friends. Mulder couldn't wait until that night when he'd be able to sleep with Walter in their bed. At the moment, Mulder wanted nothing more than to be held by his lover as they slept. 

Alex looked across the table at his former lover. "Fox, did you encounter anything unusual on your journey home?" 

"You mean like giant rats?" Mulder had finally told the Banks the truth about his experience in Denver when they were approaching St. Louis. 

"How big were they?" Jimmy asked. 

"They were as big as pit bulls. The rats had killed quite a few people that had come to loot the Denver ruins. If I hadn't shape-shifted into a wolf, they would have easily killed me. There were thousands of them in the city." 

"You didn't see any flying gargoyles?" Alex asked. 

"No. Why have there been sightings?" Mulder interest was sparked. 

"Paul Doggett told us that a soldier in the army had mentioned rumors of giant rats and a gargoyle seen flying around some of the ruins," Alex said. "There have been no reports that D.C or Baltimore has been affected. At least there were no giant rats when I was there last spring." 

Mulder took a sip of iced tea. "They might not have been affected. It could depend on what types of contagions were on board the spaceships that crashed. Maybe the ones that crashed in D.C. were harmless. Did they say which city the gargoyle was spotted flying over?" 

"The military should know, they have troops patrolling outside of the ruins throughout the country," Walter said. 

"We didn't see any troops near Denver," Simon said. 

"If they knew about the rats then there'd be no reason for them to patrol the ruins," Walter said. "The rats would keep the looters away after the word got out." 

"If they knew, you'd think the military would have had the decency to post a warning outside of the ruins about the rats," Mulder said. "I'd be interested in checking out the gargoyle story." 

Walter placed his hand over Mulder's. "Fox, you're not leaving the mountain until our children are old enough to travel." 

"Of course you're right...." Mulder was torn; much as he might love to go investigate the gargoyle sighting there was no way he would leave Walter and their children. "How old will they have to be to travel?" 

"I'd want them to be fully trained with survival skills and able to handle a rifle before we take them off the mountain on any long trips." 

"Okay, as soon as Connor is potty-trained we can start teaching him survival skills," Mulder said. 

"We'll hold classes for all of our kids," Jim said. "I learned quite a bit as an Army Ranger." 

Mulder realized that between Walter's and John's Marine training, all of their FBI training, Jim's Army Ranger training, Alex's spy training, and Blair's knowledge of herbs and plants, their children would get the best survival training available. 

Liz laughed. "Boys, at least wait until they're able to walk and talk." 

Mulder went back to eating, keeping one ear tuned to his daughters in the bedroom as his mind puzzled over the gargoyle mystery. 

~x~X~x~ 

The Bear and Fox 

It had been over eight months since Skinner had slept in the buff. This night he shed all of his clothes before climbing into bed and wrapping his body around Fox. Skinner wanted to feel every inch of his lover's beautiful body. He felt so good. 

Fox's sigh of pleasure as he snuggled closer, warmed Skinner's heart. He had been foolish to even think that Fox might have fallen out of love with him. No, Fox wasn't like his ex-wife. Still Skinner would like to make their relationship legally binding -- not just for them but also for their children. He'd already proposed marriage last year and Fox had accepted. The reverend that ministered to their mountain community, Skinner had discovered, was a former hippy and was fine with same sex couples. 

"Fox?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Let's get married on June 3." 

Fox lifted his head off Walter's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "June 3 is your birthday." 

"I know. It would be the perfect birthday present." 

"Okay." Fox leaned down and kissed him. "It's about time you made an honest man out of me." 

Skinner's deepened the kiss as his arms tightened around Fox's body, holding him closer. "I'll start planning our wedding tomorrow." 

"Keep it simple ... just the reverend, us, and two witnesses." 

Simple? No way. Skinner planned to make it a memorable ceremony. If he and the other men helped Blair with the Japanese garden and teahouse it could be ready in time for the wedding. To be married under the canopy of trees beside the cool mountain stream while surrounded by nature and their friends would be the perfect way to start their lives together. Skinner was certain that Fox would be agreeable to the small service.... 

Then again, if Skinner's failed marriage had taught him anything it was the need to communicate as well as maintain an equal relationship with his partner. "We'll plan our wedding together," he said. 

~x~X~x~ 

End of Chapter Seventeen: Springtime in the Mountains 

Coming soon Chapter Eighteen: 

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